Chupa Mulls Crazy Planet's Trajectory - marketing plans for candy company - Brief Article

Brandweek, Feb 19, 2001 by Mike Beirne

After assuming brand management duties in January, spain's Chupa Chups will push Crazy Planet by rolling more Gum Watch extensions and testing Crazy Dips TV spots in a bid to make the crackling confection the toy candy brand's flagship product.

No agencies are on board though Wonder Group, Cincinnati, currently assists with creative and media planning.

New World Marketing, West-port, Conn., formerly handled Crazy Planet, positioning it as a tween fashion and entertainment brand.

Chupa is examining its practice of adapting international spots in the U.S. market for Crazy Planet products. The current crop of Spanish Crazy Dip ads, however, were deemed unusable by the Atlanta-based Chupa team, said Emily Anadu, Crazy Planet brand manager. A European shop likely will handle creative chores again, but this time with input from the U.S. side of the business.

Those ads will test in several regions in the third quarter and roll nationally, if all goes well, into a $2.5-3 million campaign.

The bag of crackling candy with a foot-shaped lollipop will bow dozen different shapes this year. Drug, grocery and mass sales, per Information Resources Inc., rose 2.1% to $2.5 million last year, when New World Marketing handled.

Chupa will also extend Crazy Planet's henna tattoo products with glittery crystal tattoos and crystal rings. Crazy Planet's Gum Watches--$4.99 digital watches with a flip-up top revealing a mini-gumball compartment--will roll into several novelties, such as: Chrono, a sports watch with a snooze alarm and stop watch; Aqua, sporting a squirt gun; and Gum Pens, featuring a gum compartment top and a light at the tip for writing in the dark.